EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — On Friday, Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott made the decision to start Matt Barkley at quarterback against the New York Jets. Barkley had only been with the team for 10 days at that point, but injuries to Josh Allen and Derek Anderson combined with the substandard performance of Nathan Peterman forced McDermott to throw Barkley into regular-season action for the first time since 2016.

Fantasy owners scrambled to add the Jets defense to their lineups. Players didn’t know what to expect. But it’s safe to say they didn’t expect this.

“He gave a spark to this team that we weren’t expecting,” Jordan Poyer said. “Good for him. He’s a great player and it was a big day for him.”

On the Bills’ first play from scrimmage, Barkley faked a handoff and uncorked a 47-yard pass to Robert Foster, who was called up from the practice squad Saturday and finished with more than 100 yards receiving. LeSean McCoy scored his first...